WPP enlists Alina Kessel as president and CEO of its Procter and Gamble team
WPP has appointed Alina Kessel as president and chief executive of its Procter and Gamble (P&G) business, to lead to the network’s relationship with the brand across its agencies.
Alina Kessel is to head up WPP's P&G team / Alina Kessel WPP
AgencySpy reports that a leaked internal memo from Grey chairman and chief executive Jim Heekin confirmed the move, which will see Kessell still based in London and poised to succeed Tamara Ingram in the position following the latter's appointment as global chief executive of the agency earlier this year.
Heekin said in his note to staff: “Alina has led Team GSK for WPP with distinction for the past two and a half years,” adding: “I know Alina will bring the same passion, dynamism and skill to her new role.”
Under its deal with P&G, WPP-owned agencies including Grey and Mediacom handle creative for brands like Persil, Gillette and Fairy.
Kessel has led WPP’s GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) team over the past two-and-a-half years, and before that she spend over a year as Grey’s executive vice-president, managing director and global client services for GSK. The brand recently consolidated its global ad duties into nine shops, with WPP and Publicis winning a chunk of the business.
The Drum has contacted Grey for further comment on the appointment, and will update this article when the agency responds.